How to Write a Good Movie Review for College Like a Film Critic

Imagine that you are one of the most famous critics to take part in evaluating a film for an Oscar. Thrilling, huh? “How should I write my essay about a movie?” you may ask. In this article we will tell you what points to consider to write a professional movie review for college or another occasion.

 

Movie review essentials

Writing a movie review for college or university is more than a brief story of your enjoyment of the movie – this can tell you any college essay writer. You will need to analyze elements of the film and see things that would be invisible for an ordinary viewer. Also, you will need to use your critical thinking and research skills to create a powerful text.

“How should I do my college essay about a movie correctly?” The answer is a well-balanced overview of key points, considering the inner story, themes, and other elements that form the movie into a coherent whole. An extended movie review also includes the judgment and sharing of emotions about the movie, but contains a deeper analysis of movie components.

The art of filmmaking consists of many parts that play significant roles in the overall perception of the story. Here is a list of basic elements that you can include in a movie review sample:

 

Getting ready to write the movie review

“What should I first do to do my APA paper about a movie in the right way?” It may seem obvious that for a movie review, you need to watch the movie. But the practice has shown that more than preparing popcorn is required to write a good movie review. Here is some advice you can follow to evaluate the movie better.

  • Get prepared. “How should I get prepared to do my assignment?” If the movie is filmed based on a book, read it or look through the brief description to have a general idea.
  • Make a list of touching points to consider while watching. Learn the teacher’s requirements and also add them to the list. It will help you be more attentive to details.
  • Watch the movie two-three times to mention all the details and better evaluate all moments. Refrain from relying on your memory. You can’t remember all the moments at once. Moreover, some moments in movies are revealed only after re-watching. Make sure that you have entirely understood the film.
  • Note down the most touching moments while watching. If you watch the record, write down the time to see them again. Note your impressions and thoughts right after the movie ends.
  • Learn more about the director and filmography. To make your review more solid and profound, read about the director’s motives for creating this movie, explore the locations where the movie was filmed, events that inspired the director to make the film, etc.

How to write a good movie review for college in 8 steps

How to write a movie review

1. Watch the film like a film critic. Even if you have already watched the film several times, it’s time to analyze it from another angle. You need to conduct research. “How should I do my research paper about a movie review?” You need to answer several questions. Do actors wear historically correct costumes? What emotions does the camera operator try to convey? How does one scene move to another? What mood does the color and lighting establish? Try to evaluate all elements that were involved in the film creation.

2. Divide the film into scenes. This will help you find out the sequence of scenes and evaluate their significance to the overall idea. Look how the director moves from one story line to another, presents a story twist, and depicts characters. Does the movie have flashbacks?

3. Look through critical reviews of the movie. Search not only over the internet, but also look at academic databases in your college library. Academic works about films and views of professionals about the films may give you good ideas for your own review.

4. Determine the main thesis. What will be the main thought of your movie review? For example, you can discuss the movie in terms of its effect on the audience, compliance of the film with the depicted epoch, or the quality of the book adaptation.

5. Analyze the most significant scenes. Analyze the location, story development, and camera work. How does the director use technical means and the actors’ performances to create the mood, meaning, and character development?

6. Present your own point of view and understanding of the film. For example, you can explain the philosophical aspects in the movie “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.”

7. Write your first draft. Create an outline that will help you to structure your review. Here, a narrative essay outline example or classification essay outline can help you depending on your review type. Typically, you will need an introduction, body (review of story, technical characteristics, cast, directing), and conclusion.

8. Edit and proofread the text of your movie review. It’s essential to ensure you have no grammatical errors or other mistakes in the text, as you usually do when you write my college essay. Re-read the text to check whether you have covered all movie scenes, every thought has an ending, and the text reads smoothly.

When you finish your first draft, make sure that your movie review:

  • has an attractive and attention-grabbing title;
  • has a brief description at the very beginning;
  • contains a short overview of the story;
  • analyzes the key elements of the movie;
  • contains real examples from the movie to back up your personal opinion;
  • keeps the ending and story twists a surprise;
  • recommends the movie to a particular audience.